Mechie started this discussion ·
I've only successfully climb the pole a couple of days ago...but I'm wondering if anyone here ever fell off a pole before?? Wanna share some experience with the newbies??
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Kira ·
I've never fallen right off, I've dropped a lot down the pole but always manage to get out of it safely. I've fallen on my head attempting an attitude handstand haha. I've had a friend that was doing iron x and the pole came loose on the ceiling and he landed on steps :/ but he got right up and continued his routine bless him! and another friend was doing static v and lost her hand grip and fell. Usually if I feel my grip is weakening or not strong I bail out early and prepare my body to land if that makes sense. I think it's good practice to fall now and then - as long as you know how to safely land. Always tuck your head in so you protect your head and if when you get to more advanced moves like cross knee/ankle release, if you don't feel like you have a tight enough thigh grip before you lean back - don't chance it. If you have the grip but are still worried make sure you have thick crash mats under the pole and if you can get your instructor to spot you. I'm sure others here will have more horror stories to share! ;)
I have fallen bad once. I was working on caterpillar climb and my pole was in my garage (cement floor). I FINALLY got it and was so happy (mind you I can only get 2 scootches on my pole) and tried it several times. Well lo and behold my arms fatigued just as I was releasing my legs from the pole and I fell onto my right shoulder. I have no idea how I thought so quick to turn instead of falling on my head but I did. Recently I did not fall but burned myself pretty bad. I was working on elbow grip aysha and my bottom hand started to slip FAST. All I could think of to do was to tighten the grip on my elbow. I have a powder coated Lil Mynx and ended up with 3 blisters on my inner arm just before my inner elbow. I always over analyze stuff now and think through what my escape would be if I ran into issues.
A year or so ago when learning the superman (which took me forever) I fell off the pole. Fortunately it's not a move to land on my head, but my body just flew off the pole and I plopped. My husband was in the next room and walked in shaking his head as I lay on the floor :) A few months ago I plopped out of the adv plank (I have a vid of it here) I was not that high, thank goodness, but I landed smack-dab on my rear. Right after that I pulled out my crash mat, duh! It's scarey for me now that I'm beginning to move on to other moves, hopefully I won't have any serious mishaps, especially at my age LOL Happy and safe poling!!
I had a fall last summer doing the shoulder mount. It was a really hot sticky day and I was doing the shoulder mount, when I got to the point where my legs could grasp the pole my hands cupped off the pole (due to sweat) and I fell, tucking my head in saved me but to this day I stil have back pain every now and then that I believe was from the fall. I have succesfully shoulder mounted after that but it is a move that I have "lost" for now since I tend to be scared of my hands cupping off again :( As with anything I put my mind to, I wont give up or give in, but I have given that move a rest for now, and will relearn it when I shake the fear lol
Mechie ·
Sounds like inversion is the most dangerous fall...I should consider getting a crash mat before I learn those moves!
i've only fallen once ... drunk at a club. i like to say that doesn't count. :p I don't think i've ever had a real fall where i just lost it ... not while sober anyway! i slip out of new moves often, but i've always tried them slowly or really low to the ground.
UTpoler ·
Yup, I had a fall just a few weeks back but it wasn't bad -- other than my injured pride, LOL. I was tired to begin with and went to boot camp and then followed that with poling. Yeah, not smart. I was doing a Bird's Nest and when I went to exit fromt he move, I let go with my legs before I had regrabbed the pole with my heads. Just wasn't thinking due to fatigue. The most embarrassing part was I was showing a class how to do the move since the instructor couldn't do it due to a wrist injury. Oy vey.
In 2008, I fell from a shoulder mount, too much momentum, not enough sticking. When my legs were above my hips, I lost contact and fell. Believe me, I grabbed onto that pole quick! Just nearly missed my head and grazed my spine. Shoulder mount drop. Lol. Been traumatized since. In Jan 2011, I attempted cartwheel mount on a 45mm. The teacher was standing next to me for spotting. Suddenly I did a full rotation, lost my grip, and fell hard. Hit my right bicep and right side of my head. Yes, she did not spot me correctly nor did she even attempt to catch me. 3 weeks later I couldn't lift my right arm past my waist. Delayed reaction but *shrug* traumatized for life. Safe to say, I do not feel comfortable in any mount that involves momentum. Also making it harder for myself but I fell more than once and need that full control. Just this month, I finally conquered my fear and learned the shoulder mount dead lift and TG mount lift. :)
XLauraX ·
I fell while learning the inverted crucifix, I managed to turn my head as I went down so I landed on my shoulder and ribs .... i had a lovely big bruise on my ribs, but I got right back on it and tried again :) Thats the only fall I have had (so far)
Elbow grip aysha, tipped a little *too* far back before my grip was secure and went straight backward. At least I remembered to let go with my bottom hand or I would have probably dislocated my shoulder. It put a scare in me, that's for sure, but I've gotten over it.
Yep I've fallen out of a forearm grip straight edge when first learning it, straight back on my back. And fallen out of 2 elbow grip straight edge or aysha when learning to find my balance, managed to release the bottom arm both times and landed on my butt without any pain, with my elbow still sorta around the pole, lol! Been put off the cartwheel mount with momentum now after a) not latching on with the lower hand as I kicked up and whacking my ear/side of face right into the pole and b) going to kick up with the inside leg and smashing that heel into the big toe of my stationary foot... worst pain ive ever felt! when I decide to go back to the cartwheel I think I'm gonna just keep trying it from having 2 hands on the pole already... is it much harder??? i dont care im too scared to do it the old way :(
Forgot to add that when I started poling 7 mths ago I said to myself no accidents or falls... that kinda goes out the window when you get into harder stuff! Just be careful :) also wanted to add my poor big toe that got kicked when i was trying the cartwheel is now a very dark maroon colored toe nail and it may come off :( its so gross seeing your nail bleeding and in agony after such a stupid thing... fancy kicking myself!!
Charley ·
I've fallen twice once way back when I was working on the caterpillar - I took my legs off the pole accidently and fell pretty bad. I fell out of a tornado back in October and have been kind of scared to do it ever since.
I have kicked things too Shellectra and I think I may have broken if not badly sprained my toe a few times. Once was coming down onto my husbands weight equipment and once was just coming down poorly out of a straight edge onto my foam mats...my toe kinda curled under. Tornado....I was trying to remember the name of that thing last night. It took me 4-6 months before I would even try a caterpillar again after my fall!
Charley ·
With the caterpillar fall - I just kind of walked it off and went back to it but the tornado scared me so badd I've been really freaked out about it ever since!!!!! I do need to get back to it. Funny thing is the caterpillar fall was far worse than the tornado fall - I just fell on butt out of the tornado but ever since I am so scared...although when the fall happened I got up and just did it again because I had a crowd, lol!
my most epic was the fall from the caterpiller when my husband was supposed to be spotting me. he was checking the book to see what I should do next and my legs started to come off I kept saying honey...but he was intent on the mission of reading the book....thud flat on my back.
Yup!! I call it my stupidity fall. I was jamming along and in an inverted leg hang. I brought my chest up (to get the pretty arc) and the next thing I knew I was crumpled on the floor with a sore chin. Apparently, I was so into the music and the movement that I just decided to let go and then gravity did it's thing. https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Hello_Floor_Meet_my_Face_20110303114228
kcfl5 ·
Last night. I don't count it as a fall off the pole, but I slipped fast down it. I was doing the Shoulder Mount and lost all grip and just slid down. Scary sliding down that fast. Luckily my head was tucked and landed on that hard bone just before my neck. It hurt a little. Scared the daylights out of me.
Mechie ·
I've decided...Gonna rub iTac 4 and Mighty Grip all over my body before learning any new move that's more then 3 feet off the ground...lol But seriously...thank you for sharing...I will now be much more aware to have someone to spot for me (and be extremely cautious when attempting the Caterpillar) . My pole instructor is a very sweet person but sometimes she forgets to spot for us, on top of that, she wants the class to learn all pole moves on heels (I refused to because I almost sprain my ankle in one class...now I only wear ballet flats). Kepping telling myself...safety first...safety first...!!
Oh I had my 1st fall this week! 🙁 Check my blog for the whole stupid story. Just got the caterpillar climb and felt pretty damn cocky about it and decided I could "try" an aysha...yeah well, I saw the floor coming at me pretty quick, tucked my head in and landed on my left shoulder really hard (felt like the wind was a bit knocked out of me). I was afraid to move! I feel pretty lucky I didn't hurt anything, just a few days of soreness. I think one thing that freaks me out is that I never really let go of the pole with my hands and I am really surpised I didn't hurt my wrist or elbow. I am a VERY careful poler too. Usually have my trusty spotter (husband) and a giant pillow under me....lesson learned! Be safe, injuries set you back a lot.
Kobajo84 ·
I've only ever fallen off the pole once- and I caught it on video too: https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/f83341d4-bccf-11df-856f-001b214581be Not my finest moment, but all I remember was looking at the wall and thinking, wow I'm really leaning back far...then...yeah well...you'll see.
Cocoa0 ·
I've only had one fall... It was out of a straight edge elbow grip Aysha/ceiling walk. I survived, no broken anything just a bruise on my thigh (and my ego) But I have found that anytime I "fall" I can catch myself pretty easily on the pole. It's always there, it never goes anywhere, it's a constant. Don't worry, Pole injuries are surprisingly rare. The worst one I've seen in my 1.5 years of pole classes is an ankle sprain (falling out of a superman). P.S. If your taking Veena lessons learn the Superman spin first. It hurts like hell but you will learn how to fall out of it without hurting yourself.
Legend ·
I've slide and had some "emergency exists" from the pole several times, its part of the learning process I supose. I just try to always be aware and prepared in case something goes wrong. My worse fall was a few months back when I tried a jacknife from a cartwheel mount. I could do a solid Jacknife from an extended butterfly, so when I got the cartwheel mount I was so happy and confident that it seemed "natural" that I would be able to do the jacknife from there..... didnt happened.. I didn't had enought strenght and control, gave too much momentum, my legs fell too hard on my shoulder, lost the grip and colapse on the floor... no crash mat. My knee was purple for weeks. All my right side and back was hurt, specially my shoulder (because i didnt let go my botton hand...duh..). I couldn't pole for over a week, and I still sometimes feel a bit of pain on my back when I do a jacknife. Never try that entry again, not that way. I can do a solid cartwheel now and I can fall into the jacknife with plenty of control, I just have to stop with my foot on the pole first, I'm still too afraid to do it otherwise.. Its mostly psycological of course, but I dont wanna pushed it. I'll do it when Im ready and I hope i never forget this lesson - don't get too cocky while poling!
chemgoddess - yes i always do that! come down on my feet ok but curl a toe under and it kills I feel so stupid!!! I did it tonight actually LOL
Mechie ·
So when you fall/slipping - should you try to re-grip yourself or should you just let go of the pole and let yourself fall? I don't want to get into a habit of letting go the pole when I'm slipping (or feel like I'm falling) but I want to make sure I don't hurt myself. Suggestion?
